A county village has revealed an unexpected historical link with a French castle it is twinning with.
Mountsorrel village almost shares a name with the Chateau de Montsoreau, in the town of Montsoreau on the banks of the Loire in western France.
But that's not the only thing they share.
Their historical links have led to a unique initiative between the chateau, which is home to a contemporary art museum, and the village near Loughborough.
Mountsorrel's Parish Council jointly announced with the Chateau de Montsoreau that they would be 'twinning' after the French Museum of Contemporary Art approached the council last year.
This twinning initiative means going forward, the French castle and museum, and Mountsorrel Village will continue to promote their cultural ties.
The Leicestershire village was once home to a castle which was destroyed on order by Henry II, in 1217.
The Mountsorrel Castle and the Château de Montsoreau played significant roles in the wars between Norman count Stephen of Blois - who was King of England between 1135 and 1157 - and Henry II, his successor.
It is believed to have been modelled on the Chateau de Montsoreau.
In the book Memorials of Old Leicestershire (1911) by Alice Dryden, who was a local author and historical, the two places are compared.
Alice Dryden wrote that "the similarity in the names and position of the two castles, Montsoreau and Mountsorrel, and the part they played in the wars of Stephen and Henry, obviously suggests a close connection between the two".
Today, the motte where Mountsorrel castle once stood is topped by a war memorial.
In her book, Dryden wrote that it was "difficult to resist the conclusion that the English castle was built by Stephen's enemies in the imitation of the French one and named after it".
Marie-Caroline Chaudruc, the vice president of Chateau de Montsoreau, told LeicestershireLive: " It is often forgotten that the histories of England and France, and indeed the histories of Britain and France, have often been closely connected.
"In the medieval period of the Angevin Empire, the histories of England and France were the same, as they both had a King and aristocracy."
Founder of the Château of Montsoreau Museum of Contemporary Art Philippe Méaille said: "It is a rare opportunity that we have here at the Château of Montsoreau to show and to strengthen the enduring links between England and France, Brexit notwithstanding.
"These links are both cultural and historical."
